


Father and Son

by EnchantressEmily



Category: Widdershins (Webcomic)
Genre: Confessions, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24528457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantressEmily/pseuds/EnchantressEmily
Summary: Vincent finally has that talk with his dad about his future career.  (Spoiler: it goes a lot better than he'd been expecting.)
Relationships: Vincent Knott & George Knott
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Father and Son

As soon as the door of their rented room had closed behind them, Dad startled Vincent by turning around and pulling him into another tight hug. After several moments he released him, but kept both hands on his shoulders. “Don’t know what I’d’ve done if I’d lost ye, lad,” he said a little hoarsely.

Dad wasn’t usually one for talking about feelings, Vincent knew; saying even this much showed how shaken he had been by that close call on the gallows. Vincent himself was still trying not to think too hard about it, for fear of falling apart. He gave Dad a wavery smile. “S-sorry,” he said. “Things sort of… got away from me. Maybe I should have just t-talked to you, like Eliza told me to.” 

Except then Will would have gone to the gallows instead, he thought, and no matter what else had happened, he couldn’t be sorry about stopping that.

Dad rubbed the back of his neck. “Y’could talk t’me now,” he offered. “I’m listenin’.”

Vincent hesitated. He wasn’t in the best condition for such an important talk – the adrenaline had begun to wear off, and he was feeling the effects of having been up all night – but he needed to get this off his chest before his nerve failed again. He sat down on one of the narrow beds, and Dad sat on the other, facing him.

Vincent pushed aside his exhaustion and his worries about Will (was he scared, back in prison alone? What would Captain Barber decide to do with him?) and took a deep breath. “I know you were p-proud of me for going into the family business,” he began. “But I… I c-ca – ca –” He shut his eyes for a moment and drew another breath, trying to push past the familiar block in his throat. “I j-just can’t do it. K-killing someone, even a condemned criminal – I-I _can’t_.” He looked down at his hands. “B-but I couldn’t stand to disappoint you, either. That’s why I n-never said anything until now.”

There was a short silence, and then Dad said softly, “Aye, I guessed that were it.”

Vincent’s head came up to stare at him. “You – you knew?”

“Not _knew_ , ‘xactly.” Dad leaned across the space between the beds and rested a hand on Vincent’s knee. “But I remember the first time y’ever watched a hangin’. I found ye curled up in a corner after, shakin’ an’ tryin’ not t’cry. An’ every time y’were goin t’do th’ job yerself, somethin’ happened t’let th’ person off. It don’t take a university education t’put th’ pieces t’gether.” He sighed. “I should’ve said somethin’ meself, but… well, y’know I’m not good wi’ words. Seemed easier t’just let things work themselves out. Didn’t think this were how it’d happen, though.”

Vincent was having trouble taking this in. All this time he had been agonizing over telling Dad how he felt, and Dad had suspected it all along? He heard Eliza’s voice in his head: _He’s a good guy. Just tell him you can’t do this, he’ll understand._ She had been right, as usual.

“Then… y-you’re not upset?” he asked.

Dad stood up and came to sit beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. “You’re my boy, Vincent,” he said. “You’re all I got, an’ I want ye t’be happy. I’m not sayin’ I wouldn’t’ve liked t’see ye follow in my footsteps, but if that’s not t’happen, then it’s not, that’s all.” His arm tightened. “An’… well, after today, I’m not sure I could do th’ work anymore either, even if th’ new mayor weren’t bannin’ it.”

Vincent leaned against him with his head on his shoulder, the way he used to do when he was small, and they sat like that in silence for a while. 

“Dad?” Vincent said softly at last. “I – I want to be a lawyer. All those reprieves my, um, customers got – that was me f-finding ways around their sentences.”

Dad turned to look at him in surprise, then smiled slowly. “Aye, ye’d be grand at that, wi’ those books you’re always readin’. Ye’d need t’go t’school fer it, right? Would ye try fer th’ university ‘ere?”

Vincent had never given any real thought to a future as a law student – twenty-four hours ago that dream had seemed too impossible to even consider – but he suddenly knew that studying at Widdershins University was exactly what he wanted. Widdershins had always been home to him, even during the years he and Dad had spent traveling, and he could think of nothing better than to be back in those familiar surroundings, able to see Eliza whenever he wanted, to browse in the same bookshop that Mum had taken him to when he was younger, and (maybe, someday) to just go for a quiet walk with Will.

“Yes, I’d –” he began, but was interrupted by an enormous yawn. 

“Y’better get some sleep, lad,” Dad said, standing up. “I’ll be ‘ere if ye need me.” He paused and added quietly, “An’… thanks fer tellin’ me all this.”

Vincent undressed and got into bed. The sheer relief of having finally confessed the truth to Dad had melted away the last of his energy, and he could barely keep his eyes open. His last clear thought before sleep took over was of Will’s warm hand under his own.

**Author's Note:**

>  _"I remember the first time y’ever watched a hangin’. I found ye curled up in a corner after, shakin’ an’ tryin’ not t’cry."_  
>  This comes from [a fan comic I drew a while back.](https://enchantress-emily.tumblr.com/post/189656591110/ive-had-a-scene-in-my-head-for-a-while-now-of)


End file.
